Kashell
First Post
Slowly, and surely, you realize that the system is flawed, the characters, broken, the feats, unbalancing, the equipment arbitrarily priced.
In short -- the rules are far too complex. You must all agree with me to some extent, because I consistantly see threads here for "simple combat" or "simple stats" etc.
The flaw is simple: D&D is a class based system emulating a skill based system. Why create a class system with multiclassing, then introduce even more unbalancing prestige classes?
The common excuse is "oh, but it's the DM's decision to include that stuff". But why should the players be limited?
Let's start with a few things IN the system that obviously make no sense. This is my short list.
XP system - Arbitrary and needlessly complex. The DM should assign XP as he or she feels, not as the rules dictate. (In more rules-lawyer environments, such as Living Grayhawk, XP values are already planned in game write-ups so why have such a complex system??).
Hit Points - Soldiers and adventurers in real life stop fighting after they're wounded --not after they keel over and die. It makes no sense that a fighter should have 300 HP and only feel hurt after getting down to zero.
Hit Dice - Just because I'm a Barbarian, and you're a wizard, I have three times the amount of life as you. What?
AC - I'm wearing a ton of armor, therefore you can't hit me. Rediculous notion.
Initiative - I'm more flexible / faster than you, therefore I'm always the first one to react in situations. (It would make more sense if initiative was based on wisdom -- skills like listen and spot.)
Strength Adds to HIT - I'm strong, therefore I aim well.
Dexterity Adds to HIT only if I take a special feat (or ranged) - I've got good hand eye coordination, but I don't have this ability, so I can't aim melee attacks.
Platinum Pieces - Where in the heck did medevil soceities learn how to smelt platinum?!
Two Weapon Fighting - Historically speaking, two weapon fighting was another method of defense, just like using a shield. It was also employed as a method of disarming opponents and confusing enemies. But never was it used as blatantly attacking an opponent like one would do with two fists. Drittz did it, therefore I can too.
Classes
Bard - What the heck were they thinking?
Druid - nature boys are suddenly religious too?
Wizard/Sorcerer - FAFS (Familiers are free stats)
Skills - There are too many. Specifically, most of the skills in D&D rely on DC set checks, not opposed. Yet the ones used the most are the opposed checks (spot, listen, diplomacy, bluff, etc.) More skills means more skill checks the DM has to make (or skills the DM simply forgets about). More skill checks means slower play.
Listen and Spot - Why isn't this one "sense" skill?
Climb, Run, Swim, Jump, etc - Why isn't this one "athletics" skill?
Move Silently, Hide - Why aren't these a "stealth" skill?
Tumble, balance, etc - Why aren't these an "acrobatics" skill?
Craft - Why is this even a skill in D&D? Buying a masterwork weapon or armor isn't hard, and crafting one takes too long.
Knowledge (of) - Why aren't these skills associated with other classes or skills? I mean, if you're a wizard, you MUST know SOMETHING about arcane magic.
Perform - We know the bard is useless anyway, so why is this even in D&D?
Spellcraft - Why isn't this associated with a class?
Feats
Item creation feats - Why should I waste a feat and XP when I can just buy the item for the same price?
Two Weapon Fighting - Too complex. Trying to fix a mechanic that is broken with rules = even more complex.
Two Weapon Defense - Only +1 to AC?
Any +2 to 2 skills feat - Worthless. Most of these skills aren't used much anyway.
Equipment
Full Plate - -6 Armor check penalty? And Full Plate is one size fits all? +1 max dex bonus? Last time I checked, all full plate must be custom made to fit a specific body type, and because the plates work so well together, people can do acrobatics while in full plate.
Shields - Wow, if I didn't know better, shields are worthless. Wonder why the Romans sent full armies into battle with full tower shields and did just fine with little or no armor?
Arcane Failure - If I can swing a greataxe at an enemy in full plate, why does it prevent me from casting spells in it? If someone of superhuman dexterity (+5) can run around in studded leather without penalty, why does a spellcaster fail spells in it?
Combat
Attacks of Opportunity - My enemy is suddenly able to attack (again) because I did something. (???)
Multiple attacks - I move, therefore I attack only once per round.
Cover - I have a giant tower shield, which only grants me +4 to AC, but now I'm behind a wall. You can't attack me because I'm behind this wall. Guess archers are too dumb to arc their arrows.
Multiple attackers - two hundred bears attempt to jump on an adventurer. None of them are able to hit him, because his AC is obviously, too high.
Grappling - Oh good lord almighty.
In short -- the rules are far too complex. You must all agree with me to some extent, because I consistantly see threads here for "simple combat" or "simple stats" etc.
The flaw is simple: D&D is a class based system emulating a skill based system. Why create a class system with multiclassing, then introduce even more unbalancing prestige classes?
The common excuse is "oh, but it's the DM's decision to include that stuff". But why should the players be limited?
Let's start with a few things IN the system that obviously make no sense. This is my short list.
XP system - Arbitrary and needlessly complex. The DM should assign XP as he or she feels, not as the rules dictate. (In more rules-lawyer environments, such as Living Grayhawk, XP values are already planned in game write-ups so why have such a complex system??).
Hit Points - Soldiers and adventurers in real life stop fighting after they're wounded --not after they keel over and die. It makes no sense that a fighter should have 300 HP and only feel hurt after getting down to zero.
Hit Dice - Just because I'm a Barbarian, and you're a wizard, I have three times the amount of life as you. What?
AC - I'm wearing a ton of armor, therefore you can't hit me. Rediculous notion.
Initiative - I'm more flexible / faster than you, therefore I'm always the first one to react in situations. (It would make more sense if initiative was based on wisdom -- skills like listen and spot.)
Strength Adds to HIT - I'm strong, therefore I aim well.
Dexterity Adds to HIT only if I take a special feat (or ranged) - I've got good hand eye coordination, but I don't have this ability, so I can't aim melee attacks.
Platinum Pieces - Where in the heck did medevil soceities learn how to smelt platinum?!
Two Weapon Fighting - Historically speaking, two weapon fighting was another method of defense, just like using a shield. It was also employed as a method of disarming opponents and confusing enemies. But never was it used as blatantly attacking an opponent like one would do with two fists. Drittz did it, therefore I can too.
Classes
Bard - What the heck were they thinking?
Druid - nature boys are suddenly religious too?
Wizard/Sorcerer - FAFS (Familiers are free stats)
Skills - There are too many. Specifically, most of the skills in D&D rely on DC set checks, not opposed. Yet the ones used the most are the opposed checks (spot, listen, diplomacy, bluff, etc.) More skills means more skill checks the DM has to make (or skills the DM simply forgets about). More skill checks means slower play.
Listen and Spot - Why isn't this one "sense" skill?
Climb, Run, Swim, Jump, etc - Why isn't this one "athletics" skill?
Move Silently, Hide - Why aren't these a "stealth" skill?
Tumble, balance, etc - Why aren't these an "acrobatics" skill?
Craft - Why is this even a skill in D&D? Buying a masterwork weapon or armor isn't hard, and crafting one takes too long.
Knowledge (of) - Why aren't these skills associated with other classes or skills? I mean, if you're a wizard, you MUST know SOMETHING about arcane magic.
Perform - We know the bard is useless anyway, so why is this even in D&D?
Spellcraft - Why isn't this associated with a class?
Feats
Item creation feats - Why should I waste a feat and XP when I can just buy the item for the same price?
Two Weapon Fighting - Too complex. Trying to fix a mechanic that is broken with rules = even more complex.
Two Weapon Defense - Only +1 to AC?
Any +2 to 2 skills feat - Worthless. Most of these skills aren't used much anyway.
Equipment
Full Plate - -6 Armor check penalty? And Full Plate is one size fits all? +1 max dex bonus? Last time I checked, all full plate must be custom made to fit a specific body type, and because the plates work so well together, people can do acrobatics while in full plate.
Shields - Wow, if I didn't know better, shields are worthless. Wonder why the Romans sent full armies into battle with full tower shields and did just fine with little or no armor?
Arcane Failure - If I can swing a greataxe at an enemy in full plate, why does it prevent me from casting spells in it? If someone of superhuman dexterity (+5) can run around in studded leather without penalty, why does a spellcaster fail spells in it?
Combat
Attacks of Opportunity - My enemy is suddenly able to attack (again) because I did something. (???)
Multiple attacks - I move, therefore I attack only once per round.
Cover - I have a giant tower shield, which only grants me +4 to AC, but now I'm behind a wall. You can't attack me because I'm behind this wall. Guess archers are too dumb to arc their arrows.
Multiple attackers - two hundred bears attempt to jump on an adventurer. None of them are able to hit him, because his AC is obviously, too high.
Grappling - Oh good lord almighty.
I really enjoy the current D&D rules and they work great for me and my group. 
